NonBinary Reviewis the literary journal of Zoetic Press. They publish four themed issues every year. From their About page: “We take existing works of fiction in the public domain, and invite authors to re-invent those works. From Grimm’s fairy tales to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, we look for authors to fill in some backstory, apply the plot to new situations, or take the characters in new directions.”

I wondered how and why this lit mag came to be, so I asked guest editor Carina Bissett a few questions to find out. See my interview with Bissett and a link to their submission guidelines below.

HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about For the Sonorous.

BISSETT: NonBinary Review is published four times a year. We take a piece of classic literature – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Frankenstein, Anne of Green Gables, and so forth – and invite authors to submit short stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual art that interact with the work – fill in the blanks, extend the story, give us a fresh perspective on events. These submissions are then carefully curated into an experience that we think gives not just an interesting experience, but a greater understanding of the original work.

HOPKINSON: How/why was the Hans Christian Andersen theme selected?

BISSETT: NonBinary Review’s first issue, which came out in June 2014, was centered on Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Since that time, NonBinary Review has explored a wide variety of classics from The Wizard of Oz to 1001 Arabian Nights and The King in Yellow to The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. However, fairy tales remain a topic that’s close to our hearts, which is why an issue dedicated to the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen seemed like a perfect addition to our ever-growing collection of titles.

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?

BISSETT: We are looking for fiction, hybrid/experimental, and creative non-fiction of up to 5,000 words in length as well as poetry and visual art. During his lifetime, Hans Christian Andersen published several volumes of fairy tales and many of those tales are still popular today –“The Little Mermaid,” The Ugly Duckling,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “Thumbelina,” “The Brave Tin Soldier,” “The Princess and the Pea,” and “The Snow Queen.” However, there are many other tales that we’d love to see realized in new forms. Although the entire collection of Andersen’s fairy tales is open to explore, we encourage exploration of the Danish storyteller’s more obscure tales. Several collections of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales can be found at Project Gutenberg and an entire chronological list of his work can be found online at Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales and Stories. Note: All submissions must have a clear and obvious relationship to some specific aspect of the source text (a character, episode, or setting).

BISSETT: Submissions for Issue #14: The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen should be sent through Submittable. NonBinary Review pays 1 cent per word for fiction and nonfiction, and a flat fee of $10 for poetry (singular poems or a suite) and $25 per piece of visual art. The submission window closes July 31, 2017.

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?

BISSETT: Carina Bissett is standing in as the guest editor for The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen. She can be reached through email (cmariebissett@gmail.com) or on Facebook. For general questions about NonBinary Review, contact Lise Quintana, Zoetic Press Publisher and NonBinary Review Editor-in-Chief, at lise@zoeticpress.com.